Star Tribune
Rapidan Dam Store to move to new location in downtown Mankato
The Rapidan Dam Store, a restaurant southwest of Mankato that was demolished after flooding in June overran the nearby dam, may soon have a new home.
The Hruska family that has owned the store since 1972 is in the final stages of talks that would reopen the restaurant temporarily in a location in downtown Mankato, the family and a local realtor said.
The deal is finalized but still needs approvals from the city, said David Hruska, co-owner of the restaurant. The restaurant, known for its burgers and pies, would reopen on South Front Street, at the former location of the Wagon Wheel café.
“It’s close, but it’s got a couple steps to go before that’s done,” said Hruska, who owns the store along with his sister Jenny Barnes.
The Rapidan Dam Store was demolished in June by Blue Earth County officials as a safety measure following flooding on the Blue Earth River. The flooding, the second worst measured on the river, overran the nearby dam and swept away the Hruska family’s home, along with a playground, trees and other debris.
The family received approximately $40,000 for the building and still owns the land, which has shrunk due to the flood scouring away the bedrock near the river.
The final terms for the Rapidan Dam Store to move into the new location have been signed as of Tuesday afternoon, said Dain Fisher, a Mankato realtor and friend of the Hruskas who has been helping them relocate.
“It’s going to be exciting for the Dam Store to be in the heart of Mankato,” Fisher said Tuesday. The remaining steps involve approval by the city, he added.
A spokesman for Mankato city government confirmed the Hruska family is going through approval processes to move their business. The next steps are a planning commission meeting Wednesday and a city council meeting on Aug. 12, said Paul David, communications director for Mankato.
Use of the old Wagon Wheel location would be donated to the family for $1 for four months, said Kyle Smith of the Tailwind Group, which owns the building.
The family would have to pay their own expenses at the space, which has been vacant for several years, Smith said Tuesday.
The Wagon Wheel location will probably need a new floor and replacement ceiling tiles, as well as a professional cleaning, Hruska said.
The Rapidan Dam Store could reopen by the end of August at the earliest, Hruska said, adding that September is more likely.
Getting across town is no easy feat during the Twin Cities Marathon with road closures that will be in place in both Minneapolis and St. Paul during the big race on Sunday.
As thousands of runners make their way from downtown Minneapolis to the State Capitol, the easiest way for motorists to bypass the race course is to use Interstates 94 and 35W. Transit users can opt for the Blue or Green lines as several bus routes will be impacted Sunday morning and into the afternoon.
Of course, drivers in the urban core have to get to the freeway to use it. The best north-south route to get across the course is Hiawatha Avenue in Minneapolis and Grand Avenue or Ayd Mill Road in St. Paul. Motorists needing an east-west crossing can use the Lake Street/Marshall Avenue bridge and the Ford Parkway bridge via 46th Street connecting south Minneapolis and St. Paul.
Streets around the State Capitol close Thursday and won’t reopen until after the race. Summit Avenue east of Snelling Avenue in St. Paul will close Saturday when some of the weekend festivities take place.
In Minneapolis, downtown streets will close early Sunday. Several parkways will be off-limits to vehicular traffic Sunday morning during the 10-mile and 26.2-mile races. Streets along the race course will reopen on a rolling basis as participants move from west to east.
Several Metro Transit routes will be on detour from 6 a.m. until mid-afternoon Sunday. Those include the A-Line, C-Line and D-Line rapid bus routes. Other local routes running through south Minneapolis and parts of St. Paul also will be on detour. Check here for Metro Transit alerts.
Minnesota’s “Driver’s Licenses for All” law went into effect a year ago, and it has fueled a huge increase in the number of applicants taking their written tests in Spanish.
From Oct. 1, 2023 through Sept. 30, 2024, the state’s Driver and Vehicle Services (DVS) administered 113,587 knowledge tests in Spanish, up dramatically from just over 16,100 the previous year, according to state data released this week.
Latino and Hispanic residents make up about 6% of the state’s population, according to the U.S. Census taken in 2020. But state law that allows anybody to apply for a driver’s license, permit or standard ID card regardless of their immigration status is the main driver behind a 500% increase in tests administered in Spanish, said Jody-Kay Peterson, DVS’ program director.
DVS administered more than 209,900 written tests in English over the past year, the most of any of the eight languages in which tests are available. Spanish was the second most popular followed by Somali, Russian, Vietnamese, Hmong, Karen and American Sign Language. Another 935 applicants chose to have a proctor read the English version of the test questions to them, the data shows.
DVS offers tests in eight languages.
“We want to make sure anybody intending to drive can be prepared and take a written test,” Peterson said. “We don’t want any barriers.”
But has it helped? Just over 57% of applicants who take an English version of the test pass, DVS said. That rate drops to 44% for tests administered in Russian, 40.5% for American Sign Language, 30.6% for Vietnamese and just 24% for those taken in Spanish. (Hmong and Somali were even lower.)
Test takers who had somebody read questions to them passed 71.8% of the time, DVS data showed.
Survivors of domestic violence staying at a shelter in Maplewood will soon be able to stay at the facility with their pets.
In September, the Maplewood City Council approved a conditional use permit that will allow the Harriet Tubman Center East to add dog runs to its facility.
Adding a haven for pets has been a dream of the organization since it bought the building, said Jennifer Polzin, Tubman’s CEO. It’s part of a national effort to ensure at least 25% of domestic violence programs are pet-friendly by 2025.
Polzin said nearly 50% of survivors of domestic violence delay leaving an abusive situation because they fear for a pet’s safety. Pets can also be in danger of being hurt or killed in violent domestic situations.
The domestic violence shelter at Tubman Center East plans to add a dog run so survivors and their pets can stay in the facility together. (Tubman Center East/Tubman Center East)
Harriet’s Haven for Pets, in a separate area of the facility from where survivors live, but within easy access, will accommodate up to eight dogs and up to eight cats. It will also include indoor living space for pets and a living room-like lounge area where families can spend time with their pets.
Survivors and their family members will care for pets, with staff and volunteers able to step in when needed, such as when work or school interferes, Polzin said.
Tubman Center is raising the final dollars to fund the renovation but hopes to finish the dog run before the snow flies, Polzin said.
Tubman also partners with other local organizations to help people experiencing domestic violence find a short-term place for their pets to stay. “Maybe they just need to find a safe place for their pet temporarily while they get an order for protection or something like that,” Polzin said. More information about volunteering as a temporary pet foster can be found here.
